Man sentenced in dog attack

WARREN -- William A. Naylor, 41, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of dangerous or vicious dogs Wednesday in Warren Municipal Court and was sentenced to 150 days in the Trumbull County jail.

The charge was filed after Naylor's dog attacked an 8-year-old neighbor who came to Naylor's house on McMyler Street NW Sept. 15. Naylor also waived his preliminary hearing Wednesday in the June 3 attack of a prescription-drug-delivery person by the same dog. Judge Natasha Natale bound that felony case over to a Trumbull County grand jury. Natale said in court that the dog was euthanized.

Heather Peterson, the mother of the 8-year-old girl, sat with Naylor's mother during the hearing and told Natale she and her family "are not pressing any charges on (Naylor). He has been a great neighbor to us. He is the one who rushed (her daughter) over to me after the dog bite happened so I could assess the bites and figure out how bad they were."

She said they took her daughter to the emergency room because of an infection. "We had to get antibiotics for her." Peterson said her daughter also didn't want Naylor to be charged with a crime. Peterson said she was there in court to understand what was happening with the case and to "support Will's mom and Will."

Naylor's attorney, Walter Ritchie, said Naylor is a construction worker and has six children ages 3 to 25. "He is the sole provider for his family. He works to support his children" and takes care of his mother.

Ritchie said there had been no issues with the dog until June 3 when the dog attacked the woman who came to deliver prescription medications to the house.

Naylor got emotional at times when he spoke to the judge, saying he told the girl's mother he would split the medical bills or pay them all. "Whether they want me to split the bill with them or not, I'm still going to pay them a minimum of $500," he said.

Naylor said his mother lives with him, and he takes care of her and helps pay her bills, utilities and debts of his late father. He said he did the right thing after the girl was bit: "I surrendered that dog, so the dog can't hurt another child or my own." He said, "At this point, all I can do is apologize."

Natale read aloud from materials provided by prosecutors, saying the girl walked up to the front door to "get some treats as she had done in the past." When the girl knocked on the door, the dog ran though the screen door and attacked the girl, biting her in the hip and leg.

Natale also read that "the dog had been showing aggression lately."

Then Natale explained to the girl's mother and the rest of the people in the courtroom that when the police are involved and go to the city's law department regarding an incident, the prosecutors review the matter and "determine whether or not criminal charges should follow."

Natale said she considers the statements of victims and their representatives, but the "ultimate determination is with the prosecutor's office on whether they determine it necessary to proceed with charges."

Among the things they consider are "the safety of the community," the judge said. Natale is allowed to and did consider all of the information brought to her, Natale said. Other factors considered are the need to deter future misconduct and the need to punish an offender.

The victim of the June 3 attack and her daughter also were in court Wednesday for the hearing on a third-degree felony charge of "vicious dog act" that was bound over to the grand jury.

The women provided a photo of the back of the victim's left leg that shows bite marks that resulted from the attack. The leg appears to have about five tooth marks and extreme discoloration.

After the hearing, the women said Naylor's mother told the victim's daughter that the dog had never had any shots or been to a veterinarian.

Court records in the June 3 case state that the felony charge was filed against Naylor June 17 and that a warrant was issued that same day for his arrest. Court records indicate that Naylor was only arraigned on the felony charge Sept. 16, same day he was arraigned on the misdemeanor charge involving the child.

When police first spoke with Naylor the day of the attack on the child, Naylor said he knew that he had a warrant. Police were advised before they arrived at the house Sept. 16 that Naylor had a warrant for his arrest for a similar incident involving the same dog.

That was a reference to the June 3 attack.